


The Language of Flowers

by RachaelWritesThings



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/F, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-03
Updated: 2021-02-17
Packaged: 2021-03-14 23:33:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,832
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29179542
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RachaelWritesThings/pseuds/RachaelWritesThings
Summary: Estella Black knows who she is, always have always will. That doesn’t mean she has everything figured out. When her Uncle shows up out of the blue after five years to enrol her in Hogwarts. Stella realises very quickly she knows nothing about her past, and with the war brewing in the wizard oh world she has no idea what her future could hold.
Relationships: Harry Potter/Ginny Weasley, Hermione Granger/Original Female Character(s)
Kudos: 5





	1. A bunch of Daisies. Part One.

Stella Black had always been comfortable in her own skin, she'd known she wanted to marry a girl from the age of seven. Young, yes but she'd battled that war within her for years. Still did on some levels. Second-guessing her thoughts, squashing down her emotion. She knew who she was, deep down. Maybe too deep for her to see, but she knew, the issue was with whether or not she wanted to share it. Her classmates would think it was cool, just a phase she was going through. Her friends would shrug their shoulders, it's not news to them. Not if you really know her. 

See that's the problem, no one really knows Stella, she is alone, abandoned at eight, no family no carers just a crowded sleeping area in the back room of some old lady's under furnished townhouse. She was nice, Stella was lucky enough to always be placed with nice people. 

That wasn't the issue, or rather it wasn't the problem that needed dealing with immediately. Yes, Stella was comfortable with herself. Even if she was quiet about it and she was always prepared for hurdles in life. She'd dealt with a few. Starting fires with her mind was not something she was prepared for. 

She knew this day might come, before she was discarded her Uncle had told her stories of her lineage. Wonderful tales of Witchcraft and Wizardry, just enough to feed her curiosity but not enough to have her asking questions. 

"Estella Black?" Stella drags her eyes up from the fire in the corner of the room, staring over at the teacher her face completely blank. No one could possibly know Stella had set that fire, it had taken her at least thirty seconds to realise herself. Still something about the teachers tone. The narrowed features and pinched lips. She knew. "Come with me"

The school was not big, a dozen class rooms fifteen children in each. For all the years. Seven to eleven crammed into the rickety clinical prison. Stella had always hated it here, ever since she made the leap to high school last September she had wallowed in darkened corners, smirking as she willed Teagan Maxwell to trip over her suddenly loose shoelace. See the thing Stella had discovered about magic was that it had a mind of her own and in order to control it you had to shape it, will it to do what you wanted and not stretch it too far. Never. She'd learnt this part the hard way.

"I'll leave you two alone, Estella I shall grab your things for you," Stella says nothing just stares straight ahead at the man, he sits awkwardly in the chair, limbs crossed over one another arms drew close to his chest. She'd almost forgotten what he looked like, the pale slashes of puckered skin, similar to her own, where the only vivid memory of him she had. That and his voice, enegmatic, excited yet so soothing. She remembered it would send her to sleep, one word from him would calm any tantrum.

"You look this same." He stands gesturing across the room to her. Stella bites the inside of her cheek. Now would be the worst time to light anything on fire. "You're taller but you're definitely the same." 

"Uncle Remus?" He shakes his head winking micheviously, slipping a single piece of paper out of the briefcase in his hand he waves it in the air before sliding it across the table. 

"Stella Lupin, mother Marney McKinnon father Remus Lupin" 

"I've spent enough time in the muggle to figure out how easy it is to forge a birth certificate" Stella stares at the paper in her hand frowning gently. 

"You got my time of birth wrong" he snatches it back, stuffing it back into his briefcase. "And you forgot my middle name." 

"That's not the point, the point is we're leaving, it worked well enough to get you out of that home and under my care. And now we're going to london." Stella stops, staring at Remus as he starts towards the door. "Of course we have a lot to do, school starts in September so you're summer break will be used to catch up on last year." 

"First year is irrelevant. They just feed you useless information until the year is up." 

"Not at Hogwarts they don't." Stella's eyes snap up to meet Remus', part of her doesn't believe him. They'd done this before, he'd told her how she'd go to Hogwarts have the time of her life, make new friends. Be with people who would understand her. Then he'd left her in a cold clinical room and A&E, she'd never seen him again. She thought she would never see him again. Now here he is, dragging her out of the clinical hellhole and out into the blaring sunlight. 

"Wait!" Remus stops, letting go of Stella's hand and waits patiently for her to speak. "Why did you leave me?" No answer, He begins to walk again, this time leaving her behind. Stella has to run to catch up. Stella doesn't ask again, just catches up quickly, taking his hand as they cross over the school's threshold. Letting out a breath she didn't even realise she had been holding. Stella doesn't even look back, just lets Remus guide her through the back streets of London. Keeps quiet as they board a train to nowhere, skipping from one train to another. 

He looks the same, a bit older. He must be in his forties now, surely. He'd aged quickly, becoming grey and wrinkled within years. One day he chased around after her in the park and the next he lay slumped in the chair, skin greyer than his hair, eye dull. When he didn't think she was looking, when he thought she was asleep he would cry, quietly- softly. Clutching a picture to his chest. She could never find the frame, but one night she had seen in, James and Lily. His best friends. Two of the most important people in the world, and missing from the picture, just a frayed edge where he had stood was the man that had sold them out. Who had caused their death. A man Remus had loves more than himself. 

Sirius Black. Her Father.


	2. A bunch of Daisies. Part Two

Rain beats down against the windows, the pane clattering against the force. From the distance two figures emerge from the darkness, heading straight for the burrow. As they move closer Molly sees them, one is small, childlike- the other feet above her both soaked to the bone and thoroughly miserable. The smallest has a backpack the tallest carrying a suitcase. Molly recognises the man as he draws closer, someone she hasn't seen in years. Not since Ginny was born. Remus Lupin and a girl, smaller than Ginny dark honey eyes and wild thick curls drooping in the rain. Molly recognises those features straight away.  
Before Remus can even knock on the door Molly has swung it open, she stares in disbelief, first at Remus and then at the girl. She's practically asleep, wearing a school uniform, her tiny hands clutching her backpack straps as she stares up at Molly her eyes narrow.

"Molly, lovely to see you. I can explain but if we could first get out of the cold?" Molly ushers them in shutting the door lightly watching as the girls stares around the house in awe. Following the broom around the living room as it brushes up. Inspecting the pictures on the wall.

"She can't be-" Remus nods and Molly just stares, he doesn't need to tell her. She has his hair, she has Marney's eyes. Molly can tell by the way she carries herself. She is a black. Daughter to the infamous traitor. "Right then, in you come. I'll have Arthur fix some beds for you”

"That isn't-" Before Remus can even protest he's watching Stella. Her eyes wide, tiny hands tracing every moving photograph. Laughing quietly as the brush waits patiently for her to move out of its way. Remus just watches as she tries to navigate the magic. Eyes glued to the cuckoo clock with the Weasley pictures in before kneeling down to watch the needles and yearn knit themselves. Her voice is soft and Molly realises instantly her accent is funny, she doesn't know why but she had expected the infamous Regal Black accent instead it common, low and hard to place.

"I forgot what it was like, living in the Wizard World" Stella goes back to exploring while Molly stares at the back of the head of messy curls. Pinned up with a clamp a huge Matt in the back of her head, poor thing looks like she hasn't had a hair brush for year, or perhaps a bath. Her fingernails are rotten s the creases in her knuckles grey. Molly is itchy to throw her in the shower.

"Where did you find her, how old is she. Why didn't he tell anyone about her?" Stella's ear prick and Remus shakes his head. If Stella is anything like she was at eight years old you can't say a word in front of her.

"Mummy I- oh" The girl running down the stairs is taller than Stella, only by a couple of inches but by the way she talks Stella assumes she's younger. She's cute, button nose and fiery red hair. Eyes almost as bright as Stella’s.

"Hello" She feels silly, hasn't introduce or had a normal conversation in ages. They all just scream and grunt in the group home and at school she keeps to herself. "Are you a witch?" Again stupid question, Stella remembers Remus's bedtime story of the no-maj. Squibs they called them and if this girl is one, well. She'll be upset by Stella's question. Thankfully the red head nods slowly, she's painfully shy and Stella can almost tell she's got a mouth on her. Just needs it drawn out of her.

"Yes, but I don't start Hogwarts until next year" She fiddles with her jumper sleeve, pulling at a loose thread. "I'm only ten" Stella stares at the girl for a few seconds, the way she says her age with such disdain makes Stella's stomach twist. She'd seen similar faces in her time in the foster home. Kids told to shut up, their opinions stunted and shoved away because they're only kids. It's ridiculous and it angers Stella. So she shrugs her shoulders looking the girl dead in the eyes.

"There's nothing wrong with being ten, first year of double digits. Plus it's your last year of freedom" The girl grins nodding gently, still too shy to say anything. 

"Ginny dear will you show- sorry dear I didn't get your name”

“Stella"

"Show Stella to the bathroom fetch her some pyjamas and a towel." Ginny nods starting up the stairs. Stella follows quietly. This house is this best place she's ever been, more picture frame litter the walls up the stairs their eyes following her as she makes her way up three flights. Stella love this house, it's clear from the clutter they're not a wealthy family, but the rows and rows of picture mean so much more than any amount of money could ever means to Stella. Love, this house was full of it.   
Ginny is quiet, her voice a mousy whisper as she hands Stella a towel and a set of pyjamas, clearly a boys, but Stella couldn't care less. She's been in this Uniform for two days straight, the shirt is stiff and her tights are itching like there's no tomorrow. 

"I think you'll be in Ron's room but I'm sure mum will tell you after" She points behind her at the closed door, a yellow and Red flag on the door, a messy sign in messier handwriting underneath Ron's Room, Keep Out! Stella smiles gently. 

"Wherever is fine. I don't really mind." 

"Have you done magic before?" The question is sudden and it's the most enthusiastic Ginny has been so Stella answers, a grin slipping onto her lips. 

"Yes, I used to trip the mean girls up in my school, and I accidentally set the wall on fire, one two many times. Got me kicked out my foster home- even though they couldn't prove it was me" Ginny just Stares in disbelief, Stella was the coolest person she'd ever met. 

"Well, I'll let you shower" Stella closes the door quickly, locking it straight behind her. She hasn't had a bathroom with an actual lock in years. 

The bathroom reminds her of home somehow, her dads home that it. The grainy tiles and outdates pipe work, that look like they've been installed by a blind man. All those twists and turns. It makes Stella dizzy. Still, the shower is hot and the pressure is amazing, not sad trickle or having to stand in it for twenty minutes waiting for warm water. She takes a long time in the shower. Scrubbing her skin red raw. She shampoos her hair three times and then she sits in the bath, arms wrapped round her legs, knees tucked under her chin. Just letting the warm water hit her skin, it's scalding now but she doesn't care. It's the first time in almost five years, she's take a shower that wasn't cold or lasted longer than two minutes. 

When she leaves the bathroom she heads straight for Rons room, she's looking for a jumper. Big or small, so long as it's warm she couldn't care less. Her bones are cold, and with her hair wet she's freezing. Draw after draw shows no luck until. 

"What?" It's hand made, one sleeve slightly bigger than the other, a giant ran sewn into the pattern, it's cute. Homey and it smells like cinnamon. It's to big. the small arm reaching past her finger tips, the big one hanging almost to her knee. Still, it's warm and the bed is warm and the room is warm and the whole house smells like cooking. Remus's voice floating through the house, Stella already feels at home. 

****

“She’s twelve years old Remus, you can’t just cart her across the country. You kidnapped her!”

“I did no such thing, she is my ward Molly. I spoke to Dumbledore, she has a place in the school next year, I’ll teach her what she missed this year” Molly throws the blanket she’s just folded gently onto the sofa. Stella tiptoes further down the stairs, holding onto the bars of the banister as she watches Molly wave her hands in the air, the whole living room tidying its self with just the flick of her wrist. They've been arguing for nearly half an hour, a constant back and forth, both of them on her side. It made no sense to Stella, why couldn't they just agree with one another and be done with it?

“Does she know, about her father, what happened to her mother. Does she know who she is” Remus nods gently and Molly lets out a strangled noise, half cry, half sigh. 

“I never lied to her about her lineage Molly, I saw no reason too. Her mother was wonderful and her father-“ There it was, that glint in his eyes Stella had seen since she was old enough to recognise it. The pain and betrayal that was so apparent after all this time, after nearly twelve years of trying to recover. Stella knew what caused that kind of pain, had never felt it herself, but she could recognise it. Theorise on it, the way Remus spoke about her father, of her mother. It was love, undying, devotion. At least, that’s what she knew it as. 

“And in the autumn, when she goes to school, when people ask her name?”

“That is up to her, she can change it, keep it. It is not mine to change Molly. She is twelve years old, she is old enough and most definitely smart enough to decide for herself.” Good. Ha, Stella thought. Molly Weasley seemed to fret too much, care too much when she shouldn’t. She wonders what her other children are like, if they’re all as quiet as Ginny. If she’ll warm to them immediately, will she tell them her name or will she lie, change it as Remus has suggested. What would she even change it too, Black wasn’t really easy to change, maybe to the French word, Noire, she’d always loved French but that seemed a bit too posh. She didn’t want that to be the impression people got of her, plus her accent was awful and they’d probably expect her to speak in an accent with a name like that. No, it would have to be something completely different, but memorable, something she’d answer too in class. No use having a new name if you don’t remember it’s yours. From what Remus has said they have months to figure it out, and right now, she needed sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading, and for those who left kudos, I love you all!!
> 
> Stella and Ginny are going to be besties and I'm here for it.   
> What do you think Stella will change her name to, do you think she will even change it?


End file.
